Ephesians 5:24 – THE CHURCH IS SUBJECT UNTO CHRIST
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
As Christians, we are individual members of the church. In this passage, we are told that the church is subject unto Christ. This means that we are to obey Christ and that we are to submit to HIM and HIS will for our lives. Just because it is our duty to subject ourselves unto Christ, it does not mean that we are living our lives in a manner pleasing unto HIM.
Are you obeying the commands of Christ? Are you submitting to HIS will for your life? It is true that the voice of God can be hard to hear in the midst of all the clatter of the things of this world; nonetheless, a careful reading of the Bible should help you understand the general will of God for your life. Just because you are having a hard time hearing the specific words of God for your life, it does not give you the right to avoid obeying the general will of God.
A good place to go to understand how Christ expects you to live your life is to go to the Sermon on the Mount. As you read the Sermon on the Mount, Christ is very clear about how HE expects us to live our lives. God has made HIS will known to you and the real question is, are you in subjection to HIM? Are you living your life in obedience to HIM?
This passage is very clear; the church is to be in subjection to Christ. This does not mean that the Church claims to be in subjection, but the actions and attitude of the church should clearly demonstrate for all to see that the church is acting in accordance with the commands of Christ.
If a wife said that she was living in subjection to her husband but she was off doing her own thing, one would wonder how the two were really one. The same is true in our spiritual life, just because we say that we are a Christian and we are serving Christ, it does not mean that we are living our life in a manner that is pleasing to HIM. Christ has called us to a higher standard to live by. If we fail to live up to the high standard that Christ has for us, the world will hear the words of our mouth and see our actions and they will be quick to call us a hypocrite.
The standards that God holds for us are much higher than the standards that the world holds out for itself. The world sees no problem with doing that which is right in its own eyes. In order to live a life that is pleasing to God, one must reject the standards of this world and start living according to the higher standards of God.
Peter was bold in preaching the gospel of Christ. The religious leaders of his day threw him in prison because he refused to obey them but an angel released them and sent them back to preaching the Good News. When Peter was confronted by the religious leaders, he boldly proclaimed that he had a duty to obey God over men.
Submitting to the perfect standard of God for your life is never going to be easy. You must add temperance to your life and start saying no to the things of the world. As you learn to start obeying the basic instructions of God that HE has for you, you will start clearing your life from the distractions of this world and will start hearing HIS still small voice.
Examine your life to see if you are living in subjection to HIM. If you are not living in subjection to HIM, start riding your life of the things of this world that are distracting you from doing that which is right in the eyes of God. Learn to seek first the kingdom of God.